Presidents' Day From An Author's View

Laura Breck

When I'm watching the news, I often let my imagination wander off into the world of fiction. What would it be like to write a romance novel about the next president of the United States of America? I always start my stories with a quick blurb and character names. After that, I find photos that represent my vision of each character. And we definitely have some gallant characters to work with this year!

Let's start with the Republicans. Mitt Romney. A very handsome man, so the picture would be easy to look at. Romney is a strong name, but Mitt? I truly can't imagine naming a romantic hero in one of my books Mitt. Such a unique name, but, in my humble opinion, not very alpha male. We'll change his name to Matt.

Which brings us to Ron Paul. A nice looking gentleman. He could carry off the role of hero. Maybe in a murder mystery. But we surely can't have a character with two first names! We'll have to change his surname to Paulson.

Rick Santorum is a nice strong name. I'd maybe tweak his given name to Rico, give him a more exotic flair. Unfortunately, his picture won't work for an international playboy romantic hero. To me, the mouth is a critical part of a man's face. We'll have to photoshop some lips for him.

We can't forget Newt Gingrich. His professional photos make him a possibility for a cozy mystery sleuth. But his candid photos capture him making some odd faces. We'll have to keep him from showing so much emotion. And, of course, he'll need a hero's name. How about Nate?

Our last option for president is Barak Obama. A strong name, a good looking man. I'd like to beef him up a little bit, but I do like guys with muscles. And I'd probably give him a nickname that the other Navy SEALs call him. How about Rock?



Politics this year are so divisive and negative. I often find it very difficult to listen to the candidates. When I watch the debates or listen to speeches, my mind naturally clicks over to fictionalizing these people's lives. Do you ever do this? Imagine real people as characters in books?

Some day, I'll tell you about the novel I've concocted in my mind for my doctor. I've got a whole storyline for him that involves international espionage and a princess from a middle-eastern country. It definitely makes those annual visits more interesting.

Happy Presidents' Day!

Laura

LauraBreck.com

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